UP Elections 2022: Postal ballot facility to be rolled out for elderlies & COVID patients

Uttar Pradesh State Election Commission has launched a postal ballot facility to ease matters for citizens. Amid concerns over rising COVID-19 cases, the EC stressed that their first and foremost objective is a 'COVID safe election'. The postal ballot box will be provided at homes to ensure that senior citizens, COVID-19 patients and physically challenged persons are able to cast their votes in with ease while ensuring that no citizen of India is deprived of their universal adult franchise.

Closing in the distance between voters and polling station!

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In a notice by the ECI, there are a total of 24.42 lakh registered voters above 80 years of age in Uttar Pradesh. To ease the process of voting for such voters, an amendment was brought by the Ministry of Law and Justice in 2019 and 2020 in conduct of election rules and included senior citizens, physically disabled people and COVID positive patients under absentee voters. These citizens will not be required to visit polling stations and would be provided a postal ballot box at their homes to ensure that they are able to cast their votes in secrecy.

"The absentee voters can download the 12D form from the ECI website or receive a copy from booth level officer. Filled form should be submitted with the BLO within 5 days of notification of polls," said ECI.

Inclusive elections for 2022!

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The facility not just seeks to protect the citizens, but might also prove to be instrumental in curbing the spread of COVID-19's highly transferable Omicrom strain. COVID patients would be required to attach a medical report stating their COVID status, while physically disabled individuals can submit government-issued certificates of disabilities.

Prabha Devi, resident of Khala Bazar Thana in Lucknow, fondly remembers her late mother and says, "My mother Uma Devi, never missed an election since free India went to vote for the first time in 1952. Due to the ill effects of old age and a hip fracture, she was worried that she might miss the 2022 elections. This facility will really help the elderly in casting their votes, sitting from the comfort of their houses." Uma Devi expired last year during the delta wave.

- With inputs from IANS